Meet the team behind Akéwì Magazine!
Editor-in-Chief
Erinola E. Daranijo (he/him) is a Nigerian poet. He is the Editor-in-Chief of Akéwì Magazine, and the author of the micro-chapbooks, “An Epiphany of Roses” (Konya Shamsrumi Press) and “Every Path Leads to the Sea” (Ghost City Press). He splits his time between the ‘cities’ of Ibadan, Lagos and Cape Town. Say hi on X (formerly Twitter) at @Layworks.
Fiction Editor
James-Ibe Chinaza, SWAN XI, writes in Nigeria. She plans on building a waking-moment dreamscape, and is in the process of ossifying a habit of reading about everything she loves. She loves photography, films, sunrise, and avocados. Her works have appeared or are forthcoming in Akewi, Isele Magazine, Arts Lounge, Lolwe, Akpata, The Shallow Tales Review, Agbowo, Brittle Paper and elsewhere. You can find her on X @Umami_kun, where she shows up from time to time.
Sophia Obianamma Ofuokwu is a Nigerian native who enjoys writing when she is not too busy being a midwife.
Sophia served as an editing intern with the Kinsman Quarterly team, where she reviewed marketing copy edits, articles, and entry-level contest submissions.
Her short story Hold My Broken Boy Together is featured in Kinsman Quarterly’s African Diaspora Award as an honourable mention, and her poem When Food = Love, in the 2022 Brittle Paper Festive Anthology.
Sophia can be found on LinkedIn where she poses as a ghostwriting professional, and as the fiction editor for Akéwì magazine.
Some days, you might find her laughing manically behind her screen, in oversized clothes, as she gleans pleasure from leading a double life.
Non-Fiction Editors
Naomi Eselojor is a Nigerian writer of speculative fiction. She won the 2023 Utopian short story award and the 2024 Wilson Okereke’s prize for short story. Naomi’s stories are in African Ghost stories anthology by Flame Tree Press, 2022 Best of Utopian Science Fiction Anthology by Android press, Omenana Magaine, Lolwe, Hexagon Magazine, Things improbable anthology by Improbable press, Dark Matter Magaine, Akewi Magazine, The Muse journal and 365 tomorrows. Naomi’s works have been nominated for the Pushcart prize, the Caine prize, the Utopian awards and was a finalist for the 2024 Nommo awards. She is an alum of Mmbasi Legacy Literary workshop, Authors Publish Novel Writing Workshop, Milford Science Fiction Writers Conference and Voodoonauts fellowship. Naomi is a member of the African Science Fiction Writers Society (ASFS), Science Fiction Writers Association (SFWA) and Codex. In 2024, she served as a SprinNG mentor. Naomi is currently the senior editor of Ojuju Magazine and the Non-Fiction Editor of Akewi Magazine.
Okorie Divine served as the Prose Editor and Chief Editor for The Muse Journal, Nos 50, 51 and 52. He also works with Fiery Scribe Review as the Assistant Prose Editor. His works revolving around sexuality, home and difference can be found on Brittle Paper, Fiery Scribe Review, Fiction Niche, and The Muse Journal. He’s on X as OkorieDivine9 and Instagram as okorie_divine_uj.
Poetry Editors
Praise Friday is an enthusiastic climate change activist, change agent, and aspiring solicitor. He loves reading across various literary genres, writing and reciting poetry, and singing. More so, he has works on varying themes, suffused over the net. He has a strong resilient spirit to restructure and reform the legal system in Nigeria and strongly believes that change is a movement to attain.
Israel Okonji (He / Him) is a Southern Nigerian artist of poetry, storytelling & music. He is published/forthcoming @ Brittle Paper, Bruiser Magazine, Midsummer Magazine, Wasteland Review, Juste Lit, The Milton Review, Hiraeth Zine, SprinNG, Garlic Press Lit, Poetry-as-promised Lit, Lothlorien Poetry Journal, Moonlighting by Lit Pub, Lunar Journal, & Querencia Pressʼ Winter 2024 anthology. He listens to music ranging from Marvin Gaye to Elton John, Nas to Kendrick Lamar, Ne-Yo to Chris Brown, Rihanna to Adele, Brymo to Made Kuti. He hopes to fulfill his dream of collecting records like Craig Kallman. Also, he hopes to own a bungalow housing cats and willow ptarmigans. He has a special place for Brit actress Emma Watson in his heart. He tweets @izrltrcz.
Poetry Readers
Phodiso Modirwa is a Motswana writer and poet with works appearing in adda Magazine, Guernica Magazine, Brittle Paper, Lolwe and in other literary magazines. She is a 2024 Iowa’s International Writing Program (IWP) fellow and Writer in Residence. Her chapbook, Speaking in Code is published by Akashic Books as part of the New Generation African Poets Box Set: Tisa.
Damilola Oyedeji is a Nigerian poet, essayist, and literary critic. She is a creative writing graduate student at Missouri State University and a past fellow of the SprinNg Writing Fellowship. Damilola’s story, Nature’s Trick, was included in the ANTOA Writing Contest 2021 shortlist. Her Poem “Self-Portrait as a Mateless Bride” was nominated for the 2025 Best of the Net Award. Her poems and essays have been/will be published in The Shallow Tales Review, Brittle Paper, The Nigeria Review, Synchronized Chaos Magazine, Spillwords, Prairie Home Magazine, Talon Review, Belfast Review, Poetry Journal, SprinNg Writing Fellowship 2023 Anthology, and elsewhere.
Art Director
Olaitan Joy Damilola, also known as Ravanjie, is a writer, painter, and medical student. She has loved telling stories for as long as she can remember, creating vivid images with her brush and pen. She seeks to write the best story she can write before she inevitably dies while hoping to live long.
Joy believes there’s a story to be told everywhere you look and wants to share how she sees those stories with the world. Her work has appeared in notable publications, such as The Fifth Chinua Achebe Essay/Poetry Anthology, Wndrr, and the Caduceus magazine. She spends her spare time reading, painting, and
trying not to overthink everything.
Akéwì Magazine 
